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HC04 — Early Invasions, Delhi Sultanate & Provincial Kingdoms

📚 HC04 · Medieval India – I · Chapter 1 of 3 CDS Level ★ High Priority

📌 CDS Focus: Medieval India is consistently one of the highest-yielding sections in CDS History. The Delhi Sultanate dynasties, Alauddin Khilji's reforms, Muhammad bin Tughlaq's experiments, and the Vijayanagara Empire account for 3–5 questions per paper. Memorise dynasty order, key rulers, and their signature policies. Battles of Tarain and Talikota are perennial PYQ favourites.

PART A — EARLY INVASIONS

1. Early Invasions — The Gateway to Medieval India

Three waves of invasion transformed Indian political history before the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate. Each wave had distinct causes, outcomes, and long-term consequences tested in CDS.

1.1 Arab Conquest of Sindh (712 AD) PYQ Repeated

Aspect	Detail
Commander	Muhammad bin Qasim (sent by Hajjaj bin Yusuf, Governor of Iraq)
Defeated	Raja Dahir of Sindh
Battle	Battle of Rawar (712 AD) on the banks of the Indus
Significance	First successful Muslim conquest in India; introduced Arabic administration, Dhimmis status for Hindus/Buddhists
Lasted	~100 years; limited to Sindh — did not penetrate further into India
Source	Chachnama — the primary account of the conquest

1.2 Mahmud of Ghazni (998–1030 AD) High Priority

Key Fact: Mahmud conducted 17 raids into India (not invasions to stay). His primary motive was plunder, especially of temple wealth. He was also a patron of learning — Alberuni (who wrote Kitab-ul-Hind) and Firdausi (author of Shahnamah) were in his court.

Raid	Year	Target / Significance
Somnath	1025 AD	Most famous raid; plundered the Somnath temple in Gujarat; massive wealth looted
Mathura	1018 AD	Looted Mathura temples; massacred inhabitants
Nagarkot (Kangra)	1009 AD	First successful hill raid; opened routes into Punjab
Thanesar	1014 AD	Destroyed Chakraswamin temple

⚠ Common Trap: Mahmud of Ghazni is often confused with Muhammad Ghori. Ghazni = plunder raids, no permanent rule. Ghori = conquest and establishment of Delhi Sultanate. Mahmud is called "Idol-breaker" (But-shikan); Ghori established Turkic rule.

1.3 Muhammad Ghori & Battles of Tarain PYQ Direct

⚔ First Battle of Tarain — 1191 AD

Ghori vs Prithviraj Chahamana (Chauhan)
Prithviraj won — Ghori was wounded and captured, then released
Fought near Tarain (modern Haryana)
Prithviraj's magnanimity in releasing Ghori was a strategic blunder

⚔ Second Battle of Tarain — 1192 AD

Ghori returned with a stronger army, changed tactics
Ghori won decisively; Prithviraj captured and executed
Opened the Gangetic plain to Muslim conquest
Considered the foundation of Muslim rule in North India
Ghori's general Qutb-ud-din Aibak left in charge of India

💡 Mnemonic — Ghori's Other Battles: Tarain 1192 (Prithviraj defeated) → Chandawar 1194 (Jaichand of Kannauj defeated) → Kanauj fell. Remember: T–C–K (Tarain, Chandawar, Kannauj) = Ghori's conquest sequence.

PART B — DELHI SULTANATE (1206–1526)

2. Delhi Sultanate — Five Dynasties

The Delhi Sultanate lasted 320 years across five dynasties. CDS tests the chronological order, key rulers per dynasty, and their landmark contributions. Learn the mnemonic below first.

💡 Mnemonic — Dynasty Order: Slaves Kill Tigers Swiftly & Loudly = Slave → Khilji → Tughlaq → Sayyid → Lodi

Dynasty	Period	Key Rulers	CDS Significance
Slave (Mamluk)	1206–1290	Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia, Balban	First dynasty; foundation of Sultanate
Khilji	1290–1320	Jalaluddin, Alauddin Khilji	Market reforms; Mongol repulsion
Tughlaq	1320–1414	Ghiyasuddin, Muhammad bin, Firoz Shah	Experiments; iqta reforms; max territory
Sayyid	1414–1451	Khizr Khan	Weak; claimed descent from Prophet
Lodi	1451–1526	Bahlul, Sikandar, Ibrahim Lodi	Afghan dynasty; ended at Panipat 1526

2.1 Slave Dynasty — Founding Rulers High Priority

Qutb-ud-din Aibak

1206–1210 AD

Founded Delhi Sultanate; former slave of Ghori
Called Lakh Baksh (giver of lakhs) for generosity
Built Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque (Delhi) — first mosque in India
Began Qutub Minar construction (completed by Iltutmish)
Died playing chaugan (polo) in Lahore, 1210

Iltutmish

1210–1236 AD

Real consolidator of the Sultanate — son-in-law of Aibak
Completed Qutub Minar and added Qutub Complex
Introduced silver tanka and copper jital currency
Organised Iqta system formally
First Sultan to receive Investiture from Caliph of Baghdad
Nominated daughter Razia as successor

Razia Sultana

1236–1240 AD

First and only woman ruler of Delhi Sultanate
Appointed by Iltutmish over her brothers
Discarded purdah; appeared in public; rode elephants
Favoured Abyssinian slave Altunia → nobles revolted
Captured and killed in 1240; buried in Delhi (Bulbul-i-Hind)
Described by Minhaj-us-Siraj in Tabaqat-i-Nasiri

Ghiyas-ud-din Balban

1266–1287 AD

Broke power of Chahalgani (Group of Forty nobles)
Introduced Sijda (prostration) and Paibos (kissing feet)
Created theory of Divine Right of Kingship (Zil-i-Ilahi)
Established diwan-i-arz (military department)
Built strong spy network; ruthless administration

2.2 Khilji Dynasty — Alauddin Khilji Maximum PYQs

Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316) is the most PYQ-tested ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. His market reforms, military conquests, and administrative innovations are asked repeatedly.

Alauddin Khilji's Market Reforms — Structure

Reform / Policy	Details	CDS Tip
Market Control	4 markets with fixed prices; Shahna (controller), Barid (spies); fines/mutilation for violation	Asked as "which official controlled Alauddin's markets?"
Revenue Reform	Land revenue raised to 50% of produce; measurement by biswa; removed middlemen (khuts, muqaddams)	"Land revenue in Delhi Sultanate was highest under?"
Military Reforms	First to maintain paid standing army; introduced dagh (branding horses) and chehra (descriptive rolls)	"Who introduced dagh system?" — Alauddin
Mongol Repulsion	Repelled Mongol invasions 4 times (1297–1308); built defensive forts; resettled Mongols (New Muslims)	Malik Kafur = his famous general (South Indian campaigns)
South India Campaigns	Malik Kafur led campaigns to Warangal, Dwarsamudra, Madurai; brought enormous wealth	"Malik Kafur was the general of?" — Alauddin Khilji

2.3 Tughlaq Dynasty — Muhammad bin Tughlaq Tricky Questions

📌 Token Currency Experiment

Introduced brass/copper token currency with same value as silver tanka (~1329–30 AD)
Did not prevent people from making coins at home → massive forgery
Economy collapsed; scheme abandoned → treasury drained further
CDS asks: "Which Sultan introduced token currency?" — Muhammad bin Tughlaq

📌 Capital Transfer to Daulatabad

Shifted capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri) in Deccan (~1327 AD)
Reason: Better central location; protect from Mongol raids
Forced the entire population of Delhi to march ~1,100 km
Many died en route; scheme reversed after 2 years
CDS asks: "Daulatabad was the capital of which Sultan?"

⚠ Muhammad bin Tughlaq's Other Experiments (PYQ): (1) Khorasan Expedition — planned but abandoned; (2) Qarachil Expedition in Himalayas — disaster; (3) Agricultural reforms — Diwan-i-Kohi (Department of Agriculture) created; (4) His reign saw Ibn Battuta's visit (Rihla).

2.4 Firoz Shah Tughlaq PYQ

Key Contributions: Constructed canals (first major irrigation network in medieval India); built cities (Firozabad, Fatehabad, Jaunpur, Hissar); established hospitals (Dar-ul-Shifa); translated Sanskrit texts into Persian; banned torture; abolished ~24 types of taxes. However, he restored Jizyah on Hindus and was lenient on nobles.

2.5 Iqta System Concept PYQ

What is Iqta? An iqta was a territorial assignment (not ownership) granted to a military commander (iqtadar/muqti) in lieu of cash salary. The iqtadar collected revenue from the assigned territory, kept his salary, and sent the surplus to the central treasury. Iltutmish formally organised the system. It was not hereditary — reassigned upon death or misconduct. Often compared to European feudalism (but differs: not hereditary, state-controlled).

PART C — ART, ARCHITECTURE & LITERATURE

3. Delhi Sultanate — Art & Architecture

🕌

Qutub Minar

Delhi — Indo-Islamic Architecture

Started by Aibak; completed by Iltutmish (1st 3 storeys)
2 more storeys added by Firoz Shah Tughlaq after lightning damage
72.5 m tall; tallest brick minaret in the world
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Dedicated to Sufi saint Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki

🏛️

Alai Darwaza

Built by Alauddin Khilji, 1311

Southern gateway to the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque complex
First building in India to use true arch and true dome
Built of red sandstone with white marble inlay
Considered a masterpiece of early Indo-Islamic architecture

✍️

Amir Khusrau

Poet, Musician, Scholar

Born 1253 AD; called "Parrot of India" (Tuti-i-Hind)
Disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya
Served at courts of 7 Sultans including Alauddin Khilji
Works: Tughlaqnama, Khazain-ul-Futuh, Nuh Siphir
Credited with inventing the sitar and tabla
Pioneered Hindavi (proto-Hindi) literature

PART D — VIJAYANAGARA & DECCAN KINGDOMS

4. Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646)

4.1 Foundation & Krishnadevaraya High Priority

Aspect	Detail
Founded by	Harihara I and Bukka I (brothers) in 1336 AD at Vijayanagara (modern Hampi, Karnataka)
Inspired by	Sage Vidyaranya (Madhavacharya) of Sringeri Math
Capital	Vijayanagara (Hampi) on the banks of Tungabhadra river
Dynasties	4 dynasties: Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu
Greatest ruler	Krishnadevaraya (1509–1529) of Tuluva dynasty
Literary work	Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada (Telugu); his court had Ashtadiggajas (8 Telugu poets)
Nayankara System	Military feudalism: king grants land (amaram) to nayaks in exchange for troops — similar to iqta but hereditary
Trade	Portuguese relations; Domingo Paes and Fernão Nunes — foreign accounts of Vijayanagara

4.2 Hampi Architecture

🏯

Vittala Temple

Hampi's Masterpiece

Famous for musical pillars (stone pillars produce musical notes when tapped)
Stone chariot of Garuda in courtyard — iconic image
Dravidian style; built during Krishnadevaraya's reign

🕍

Hazara Rama Temple

Royal Chapel

Walls depict scenes from the Ramayana (1,000 Rama scenes)
Used exclusively by the royal family
Blend of Chalukya and Vijayanagara styles

⚔️

Battle of Talikota — 1565

End of Vijayanagara

Alliance: Bijapur + Bidar + Ahmadnagar + Golconda vs. Vijayanagara
King Ramaraya captured and beheaded on the battlefield
Hampi sacked and destroyed; never recovered
Marks the end of the Vijayanagara Empire as a power

4.3 Bahmani Kingdom & Deccan Sultanates Overview

Kingdom	Capital	Key Ruler / Note
Bahmani Sultanate	Gulbarga → Bidar	Founded by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347); Mahmud Gawan — great minister (built Madrasa at Bidar)
Bijapur	Bijapur	Adil Shahi dynasty; Gol Gumbaz (tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah) — second largest dome in world
Golconda	Golconda	Qutb Shahi dynasty; famous for diamond mines (Kohinoor, Hope Diamond)
Ahmadnagar	Ahmadnagar	Nizam Shahi; Chand Bibi defended against Akbar's forces
Berar & Bidar	Ellichpur / Bidar	Smaller sultanates; Imad Shahi and Barid Shahi respectively

⚡ HC04 Memory Chart — Fast Revision

⚔️ Battles — Dates

712 AD — Arab conquest of Sindh
1025 AD — Mahmud sacks Somnath
1191 AD — 1st Tarain (Prithviraj wins)
1192 AD — 2nd Tarain (Ghori wins)
1565 AD — Talikota (Vijayanagara falls)

👑 Slave Dynasty — Keys

Aibak — Lakh Baksh; Qutub Minar started
Iltutmish — Silver tanka; Iqta formalised
Razia — Only woman Sultan
Balban — Sijda, Paibos; broke Group of 40

📜 Alauddin Reforms

4 markets with fixed prices
Shahna = market controller
Land revenue = 50%
Dagh (brand) + Chehra (roll)
Malik Kafur — South campaigns

🏛️ Architecture — Quick

Qutub Minar — Aibak started, Iltutmish completed
Alai Darwaza — Alauddin Khilji; first true arch
Vittala Temple — musical pillars; Hampi
Gol Gumbaz — Bijapur; 2nd largest dome

📖 Literature / Sources

Amir Khusrau — Tuti-i-Hind; sitar/tabla
Chachnama — Arab conquest of Sindh
Kitab-ul-Hind — Alberuni (Ghazni era)
Tabaqat-i-Nasiri — Minhaj; Slave dynasty
Rihla — Ibn Battuta (Tughlaq era)

🏰 Vijayanagara

Founded — 1336, Harihara & Bukka
Greatest — Krishnadevaraya; Amuktamalyada
Nayankara = military land grants
Talikota 1565 — empire ends
Hampi = UNESCO World Heritage

📄 Topic-Wise PYQs & Tricky Questions

Q1. Which Sultan of Delhi introduced the system of market control (price regulation)?CDS PYQ

(a) Iltutmish(b) Balban (c) Alauddin Khilji(d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq

✔ Answer: (c) Alauddin Khilji

Alauddin Khilji established 4 markets in Delhi with fixed prices monitored by the Shahna (controller) and Barid (spies). No other Sultan implemented such comprehensive price controls.

Q2. The 'Tabaqat-i-Nasiri' was written by whom? CDS PYQ

(a) Amir Khusrau(b) Minhaj-us-Siraj (c) Ziauddin Barani(d) Alberuni

✔ Answer: (b) Minhaj-us-Siraj

Tabaqat-i-Nasiri (1260) by Minhaj-us-Siraj is the key source for Slave dynasty history. Barani wrote Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi. Alberuni wrote Kitab-ul-Hind. Don't confuse these.

Q3. Who among the following was NOT a part of the 'Chahalgani' (Group of Forty)? Tricky

(a) Balban(b) Iltutmish (c) Alauddin Khilji(d) Malik Qutb-ud-din

✔ Answer: (c) Alauddin Khilji

The Chahalgani were 40 powerful Turkish nobles who dominated Slave dynasty politics. Alauddin Khilji was from the Khilji dynasty — a completely different dynasty. Balban himself was a member of the Chahalgani before becoming Sultan and then destroyed the group.

Q4. 'Dagh' (branding of horses) system was introduced by: CDS PYQ

(a) Balban(b) Alauddin Khilji (c) Muhammad bin Tughlaq(d) Sher Shah Suri

✔ Answer: (b) Alauddin Khilji

Alauddin introduced the dagh (branding) and chehra (descriptive roll) to prevent soldiers from maintaining fewer horses than registered. This was part of his military reform to maintain a large, efficient standing army.

Q5. The Battle of Talikota (1565) was fought between Vijayanagara and: CDS PYQ

(a) Bahmani Sultanate(b) Mughal Empire (c) Alliance of Deccan Sultanates(d) Golconda Sultanate alone

✔ Answer: (c) Alliance of Deccan Sultanates

Talikota was fought between Vijayanagara (under Ramaraya) and a coalition of Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda. The Bahmani Sultanate had already fragmented into these 5 Deccan Sultanates by then.

Q6. Which of these is correctly matched? Tricky

(a) Alai Darwaza — Iltutmish(b) Gol Gumbaz — Golconda (c) Qutub Minar completed — Iltutmish(d) Quwwat-ul-Islam — Alauddin Khilji

✔ Answer: (c) Qutub Minar completed — Iltutmish

Alai Darwaza was built by Alauddin Khilji (not Iltutmish). Gol Gumbaz is in Bijapur (not Golconda). Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was built by Aibak (not Khilji). Only (c) is correct — Iltutmish completed the first 3 storeys of Qutub Minar.

Q7. Ibn Battuta's visit to India occurred during the reign of: CDS PYQ

(a) Alauddin Khilji(b) Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (c) Muhammad bin Tughlaq(d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq

✔ Answer: (c) Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Ibn Battuta (Moroccan traveller) visited India ~1334 AD during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign and documented his experiences in Rihla. He was appointed as a qazi (judge) by the Sultan. Alberuni visited during Mahmud of Ghazni's raids.

Q8. Amir Khusrau is associated with the origin of which musical instrument? CDS PYQ

(a) Veena(b) Sarod (c) Sitar(d) Flute

✔ Answer: (c) Sitar

Amir Khusrau is traditionally credited with inventing the sitar and the tabla, and with developing qawwali music. He is called the "Father of Qawwali" and "Tuti-i-Hind" (Parrot of India). He was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.

📋 Quick Reference — HC04

⚔️ 5 Delhi Dynasties

Slave (1206–90) · Khilji (1290–1320)
Tughlaq (1320–1414) · Sayyid (1414–51)
Lodi (1451–1526) → ended: 1st Panipat
Mnemonic: SKTSL

📜 Key Books

Chachnama — Arab conquest
Kitab-ul-Hind — Alberuni
Tabaqat-i-Nasiri — Minhaj
Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi — Barani
Rihla — Ibn Battuta

🏛️ First-Evers

First woman Sultan — Razia
First true arch — Alai Darwaza
First standing army — Alauddin
First mosque in India — Quwwat-ul-Islam
First canal network — Firoz Shah

🗺️ Vijayanagara

Founded 1336 — Harihara & Bukka
Greatest: Krishnadevaraya (Tuluva)
Nayankara = military land system
Hampi on Tungabhadra
Fell: Talikota 1565

🔑 Tughlaq Experiments

Token currency (brass/copper) — failed
Capital to Daulatabad — reversed
Diwan-i-Kohi — agriculture dept
Khorasan & Qarachil — failed wars
Ibn Battuta visited his court

🏰 Deccan Sultanates

Bijapur — Gol Gumbaz
Golconda — diamond mines (Kohinoor)
Ahmadnagar — Chand Bibi
Bahmani — Mahmud Gawan
All 5 defeated Vijayanagara at Talikota

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